The Series2 boards accelerate any application based on Imagination’s OpenRL raytracing API – at the minute, Imagination’s own Caustic Visualizer for Maya or Robert McNeel & Associates’ Neon add-on for Rhino.

A 3ds Max version of Caustic Visualizer is expected to enter beta later this year.

From semi-interactive to real-time
The hardware further accelerates what are already designed as highly optimised progressive raytraced viewports: in Imagination’s words, turning them from “semi-interactive [to] real-time”.

According to Alex Kelley, director of business development for the company’s Caustic Professional division: “The Caustic [cards] will accelerate look development for artists and designers to a level where they can view final render results while still developing their models.

Industry feedback
We’ve spoken to both Imagination Technologies and some of the beta testers, and the performance stats look good. We hope to post a longer article on Monday.

Until then, you can find technical specs for the two cards via the links below. It’s worth checking out the press release, which includes enthusiastic quotes from such major players in the industry as Autodesk, HP and Dell.